Reading the novel, nouveau, la novela - a trek through the genre

"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen

 Happy New Year to you and all of my readers!
I hope you're having a great year so far and that you've found a way to stay warm in the midst of this deep freeze that we've been experiencing. I shouldn't complain too much because it's been warmer here than in Kentucky, Ohio, and New York where many of my friends and relatives live. Thank you for reading my thoughts about books today, and I hope you will continue to read my posts and leave your comments.

I've read four novels since I wrote last at Thanksgiving time. I listed to two of these books while en route to and from Kentucky. It's always fun to go to the library and look through their many books on cds before a long solo car trip. I listened to Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie and Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews. I enjoyed both and was able to finish them during the trip. Of course, I'd heard of Murder..., but I'd never read it. The characters are quite colorful and mysterious, so it was fun. Agatha Christie is a classic mystery writer of approximately 80 novels. and some of her books have been made into movies as well.

The other two books that I've read since the end of November are Gray Mountain and The Circle. Gray Mountain is a current bestseller set in western Virginia and other mountainous regions. It's about the coal mine companies and the destruction that they cause to the beautiful natural areas of Virginia and Kentucky. A small group of lawyers provide free legal services to the mountain people, and they always seek to find justice. They also try to shed light on the harm that large companies are causing to the land, and the harm caused by black lung disease. Lately I've been reading a lot of historical  novels, and this book is the closest of these four to belong in this genre because the background events have actually happened or are still happening. Still, I confess that I enjoyed my historical novels of last fall more, books such as War Brides, All the Light We Cannot See, and Paris: The Novel.



I finished reading The Circle by Dave Eggers a couple of days ago. My parents loaned this book because they thought I would enjoy it. Well, I can't say that I actually "enjoyed" it, but it was interesting. It's closer to what I'd call scary, strange, worrisome, and frightening. The story unfolds about a young woman named Mae Holland who thinks she's just gotten her dream job at a company called "The Circle." Gradually she realizes that the company isn't what she thought, but she begins to embrace the mysterious actions of the company as the Circle begins to close. I don't want to say too much about this book because I want you to read it. It's about technology becoming too intrusive and people becoming less human. All of us have been touched by the constant changes in technology, so I think you'll find this book to be interesting. The Circle is a company like Yahoo, Google, Facebook, and other technology companies rolled into one. The book is an easy read, and after a few pages you'll fid that you don't want to put the book down. 

I've been sharing the titles of the books that I've read since 1984, so here are the next ten in my card catalog:

1. No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
2. The Rain Before it Falls by Jonathan Coe
3. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
4. Ike Godsey of Walton's Mountain by Joe Connely
5. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy
6. The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy
7. The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper (a memoir set in Liberia)
8. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
9. Twilight at Monticello by Allan Crawford 
10. The Hours by Michael Cunningham

Keep on reading, and leave me your comments and book suggestions. My reading pile is a little short right now, so your suggestions are appreiated!

Stay warm,
Melissa